Pigeon Toe Treatment – The Proven Method To Stop Pigeon Toe In Kids

Has your child been walking or running differently lately? Are your kids’ feet and legs turning inwards when they are walking? Parents are usually pretty good at noticing when something is not right about their kids!

If your child has been diagnosed as being pigeon toed, then you must take action immediately, since when children walk with their toes pointing inwards it can lead them to put pressure in parts of their bodies where they are not supposed to (which leads to foot and leg pain).

If your child has been tripping and falling a lot lately, you should consult with your physical or occupation therapist.

But…

The first step before making the trip your doctor is to make sure that your child is wearing the correct type of shoes.

I have been working for a children’s shoe store for over 10 years now where we specialize with kids’ that have foot and leg issues, but we provide regular fittings as well. Parents often come to the store referred by their kids’ pediatricians or physical therapists.

I have seen the positive effect that a pair of good supportive shoes and orthotics can have in correcting children that are pigeon-toed, from helping them walk straighter to relieving the pain they might be experiencing.

Let’s start by clarifying what does it mean to be pigeon-toed: Kids’ who walk with their feet turned in instead of pointing straightahead are described as being“pigeon-toed” or having“in-toeing.”

Don’t panic! This condition is more common than you’d think and can be easily corrected by wearing good supportive shoes and orthotics.

I always emphasize to parents to never ignore their kids’ foot and leg pain.When children are experiencing foot or leg pain, I recommend attacking the issue with a pair of good supportive shoes. However, if the pain persists after wearing the right pair of shoes, then we might consider getting the child a pair of orthotics as well.

I have been helping parents find their kids’ shoes online for the last three years now.Let me show you a selection of thebestshoes for kids’ who are pigeon-toed!

Pigeon Toe Treatment – Your Kids’ Shoes Play a Key Role!

At the specialized children’s’ shoe store that I work for, we see hundreds of children with foot issues! I handle approximately 200 fittings/try-ons per week!

Pediatricians and physical therapists are constantly referring families to our store since we are one of the few stores in the country that specializes in fitting shoes with orthotics!

This doesn’t mean that every child who has foot issues needs orthotics. In most cases we start with a supportive shoe and observe how the child adapts. If the problem persists or doesn’t get any better, that’s thats when we try an orthotic!

Even though some studies claim that sneakers don’t speed up the corrective process when it comes to straighten kids’ feet and legs, I have seen the positive impact that a good supportive shoe can have for a child that is toeing-in!

Let me prove it to you…

Here is a picture of a child that is pigeon-toed wearing a pair of unsupportive shoes. Do you notice how her feet are turning inwards?

Now let’s take a look at a picture of the same child wearing a pair of supportive shoes. Do you notice how her feet look straighter?

A pair of supportive shoes can make a tremendous difference in improving your child’s posture and allowing him/her to walk and run straighter!

I am always emphasizing to parents that it doesn’t matter how supportive your kids’ shoes are, if they are not fitted properly, your child will not get any of the benefits that the shoes have to offer!

If you don’t have a local shoe store in your area that you trust, you should START by reading an article I wrote where I describe the simplest, yet most effective way to figure out your child’s foot size from home:

After fitting the child in the right pair of shoes (good arch support and a firm heel counter), I always have them walk around the shoe store to see if they are walking straighter. Generally, the impact that the shoes have in the way the child walks is quite shocking and immediate. In MOST cases, we see the child walk a lot straighter right away, with the shoes helping align their feet and legs!

What is Causing your Child to Pigeon Toe? – Learn the Facts!

In-toeing is believed to be genetic. There are three conditions that often cause in-toeing:

Curved foot (metatarsus adductus)

Twisted shin (tibia torsion)

Twisted thighbone (femoral anteversion)

Several parents have asked me how can they identify if their child has pigeon toe ( some cases are more visible than others). I always advise them to pay attention at the way their child walks, but another good way to tell is by looking at the current shoes that the child is wearing, since they WILL show signs of unusual wear!

The picture below shows two pair of shoes of the same size, with the one on the right being a shoe that has never been worn, and the one on the left is a shoe used by a child that is pigeon toe.

Do you notice how the shoe on the right is caving in to the right? That means that the child’s feet are curving inward instead of pointing straight ahead when he walks.

What Are the Best Shoes for your Child Who is Pigeon Toed?

Addressing this problem early and taking care of your kids’ feet at an early stage is crucial in keeping your kids’ feet healthy. Nevertheless, if a child’s in-toeing remains by the age of nine or ten years old, surgery may be required to correct it!

This is the reason why keeping an eye on the way your child walks is extremely important, that way you can take action at an early stage and provide your child with the correct pair of supportive shoes.

In order to improve and correct the way your children are walking, we need to find them shoes with good support and structure. By this I mean a shoe with good arch support, and a shoe that has a very firm heel counter!

Do you know what the heel counter of the shoe is? The heel counter is what provides ankle and lateral support for when your child is walking or running. Take a look at the picture below for clarification!

The firmer the heel counter, the more support your child will get. Avoid shoes with flabby heel counters, like the one that appears in the picture below!

If you want to get the most support out of your kids’ shoes, you should consider getting your child a pair of shoes that come with shoelaces instead of Velcro closure. Shoelaces always provide more support and more stability than shoes with velcro closures!

I want to clarify that when I mention good supportive shoes, I don’t mean special corrective shoes. I mean everyday running shoes for children that provide excellent arch and heel support!

Below you can find a list of the best shoes for children who are pigeon-toed.The shoes below will fit a child that has narrow, medium, wide or extra wide feet (as long as you choose the width accordingly).

This selection of shoes fit “true to size”, which means that you need to go a half a size longer of the size that your child measures in the standard foot measuring scale (Brannock device) in order to allow for growing room.

Remember that is always best to take your kid to your local children’s shoe store to be properly fitted for shoes.These shoe recommendations are for parents who don’t have a local kids’ store.

Here are some of the benefits that these shoe styles will provide for your child:

They will help your child walk with his or her feet close together and legs straight.

They will prevent your child from running with his or her legs swinging out.

They will prevent your child from tripping and falling down often.

In-Toeing – How Worried Should you Be?

Some studies show that infants who are pigeon-toed in early years might outgrow the condition without any necessary treatment.However, if your baby’s in-toeing persists after six months, or if it is hard and difficult to straighten out the feet and legs, you should get a professional evaluation immediately!

This usually leads to a recommendation of good supportive shoes and maybe an orthotic to help straighten your kids’ feet and legs!

Proven Methods to Fix this Condition – Good Shoes and Stretching Exercises!

Your child’s pediatrician may have prescribed treatments such as physiotherapy. Here are some examples of exercises that can help children who are pigeon-toed!

First Exercise!

Have your toddler or young child sit up straight in a child-sized firm chair (children with pigeon toes tend to sit with their legs crossed naturally).

Start by helping your child sit in a chair with his or her legs uncrossed and the feet should be flat on the floor.

Make a trace of his or her feet in the correct slightly-outward position on a piece of paper.

Make a game of this exercise by having your child sit in the chair with her feet in the outlines of the tracings on the paper.

Repeat this exercise as frequently as possible!!!

Second Exercise!

Clear an area that is approximately 6 square feet in your living room or garden to avoid injuries.

Make your kid walk backwards after showing him or her a demonstration.

Have him follow you walking backwards.

Continue the exercise for up to 10 to 20 minutes or as long as your child is willing to do it.

This exercise helps to strengthen the hip joints to keep your kids’ feet straight while walking.

Keep in mind that tightening of the kids’ muscle cords can be one of the causes why your child might be pronating.Make sure you stretch with your child as often as possible.

Let’s Keep your Kids’ Shoes as Supportive as Possible!

It is really important that your kids’ always undo the shoelaces when they take their shoes off or put them on, that way they don’t stretch the shoe and they are able to keep them in the best shape possible!

However, we both know that most children like to yank their shoes off! The problem with this is that the shoe gets less supportive every time they do it…

Please remind your child toto always take off his or her shoes properly.

Orthotics for Pigeon Toe – When the Shoes are Not the Solution!

If you have tried a pair of supportive shoes (for a period of three months) and your child is still in-toeing, then you might want to try a pair of orthotics.

Orthotics will help improve your kids’ posture and reduce or completely eliminate the excess stress on their knees and hip joints. While I don’t discuss the importance of providing your kids’ with orthotics in as much detail in this article, I have written another article with a video where I describe the best orthotics for children that are pigeon-toed. You can find that article here:

I am NOT a doctor, but I have fitted shoes and orthotics for hundreds of children with pigeon toe issues at the children’s shoe store that I work for. I have learned what works and what doesn’t by testing different shoes and orthotics!

Something so simple such as providing your child with the correct pair of shoes can be the solution to your kids’ foot problems! I provided you with a description of the most suitable and supportive everyday shoes for a child who is pigeon-toed!.

Is your child pigeon toed? Have they been experiencing leg or foot pain? What steps have you taken to stop the pain and improve the way they walk? Please share your experiences below so we can all benefit from your them!

STOP BUYING THE WRONG PAIR OF SHOES FOR YOUR CHILDREN.LET’S START TAKING CARE OF THEIR FEET!

I created this webpage to help parents understand the importance that shoes have in healthy foot development and how they can prevent foot problems in the future.Join the rest of the parents who are taking care of their kid’s feet and get my guide for free: 10 Mistakes Parents Must Avoid When Buying Shoes for their Kids.

Join the rest of the parents who are taking care of their kids’ feet and get my guide for free: The 5 Most Common Mistakes Parents Make when Buying Their Kids’ Shoes

My daughter is turning three in two months and I have “ignoring” how she walks thinking it’s just a phase. The inner parts of her knees are always touching each other. She doesn’t trip when she walks or runs but indeed, it looks different than normal.

She started walking at 10 months old barefoot. And we are always most of the time barefoot at home. Does it have a direct relation?

I don’t believe it’s genetics since neither I or my husband have pigeon toes. I know now that her velcroed shoes are the main culprit as you pointed out so I will have to get rid all of them and start to let her using shoe-laced shoes. I ordered a pair of your shoe lace up recommendations and she is walking much straighter now! Thank you so much!

It seems that all your daughter needed was a pair of good, supportive shoes. The shoes I recommend have arch support so I think the arch in the shoes are helping her feet not to collapse. Keep an eye on her and make sure she is not having any foot or leg pain.

I was pigeon-toed as a child – many years ago. The treatment was similar then…I had to wear special shoes for many years. However, back then there was really only one style of shoe available and they were very expensive and very ugly! My child is algo pigeon toe, I also believe this is genetics.

I love that there are many more choices now that don’t draw attention to the special shoes. I ordered a pair from you recommendations since we have been looking for good supportive shoes for a long time now!

The shoes I describe provide the best ankle and arch support. If fitted properly, they will provide relief to your child’s foot pain and help him walk straighter. If the pain persists, consider getting him an orthotic to provide more support for him. I wrote a post where I describe the best orthotics for children. You can find the post here: Best Shoes For Orthotic Inserts- Don’t Ignore Your Children Feet Or Leg Pain!

I was looking for some good articles online on how to prevent pigeon toes for kids and I found your website. I love how you have described the solution to this problem.I bought one of the shoes you recommend for my child, since we don’t have a kids’ shoe store in my area where we can take him. I will let you know how they work out for him!

Keep a close eye on his feet. Hopefully all your child needs is a good pair of supportive shoes. Most children that are pigeon toe are wearing the wrong type of shoes. Un-supportive and not the correct size. Make sure you get your child the correct shoe size by reading this post: How Can I Make Sure My Kids’ Shoes Fit? – Learn The Secret Here!

Your article about pigeon toe is very interesting to read. My son has been walking funny lately and I have no idea what might be causing it. I love that you provide a selection of good supportive shoes for children. How can I make sure my child is wearing the correct shoe size? Can shoes that are too tight cause this issue as well? Please clarify.

You need to take your child to your children’s local shoe store to have his feet properly measured. If you don’t have a local children’s shoe store in your area, read this post that explains how to make sure your child is wearing the correct shoe size. The post is called: How Can I Make Sure My Kids’ Shoes Fit? – Learn The Secret Here!

Shoes that are too tight will not cause your child to pigeon toe, but they will cause several other foot issues such as blisters, corns, and calluses.

I was in desperate need in finding good shoes for my child that is pigeon toe. Before taking him to the pediatrcian I read your post, and she agreed with everything you had to say! She recommended good supportive sneakers and keeping an eye on how the child reacts to them. We don’t have a local kids’ shoe shop so your website came very handy. We ordered a pair from your recommendations! Thank you!

I hope that a pair of good supportive shoes is all your child needs! The shoes I describe in the post are the most supportive ones for children with flat feet or rolled ankles. If they don’t work, your child will definitely need an orthotic.

Great article, thank you. My son is 12 and takes size 46 mens shoes (yes, he’s a very large 12yo). He has struggled with pigeon toes all his life and as a toddler had permanent bruises on his forehead from frequent face plants. He’s had orthotics for some time and they didn’t make much difference. We’ve also tried physio since he has extreme flexibility and very little core strength – quite wobbly and floppy. It would appear that his pronating is caused not by twisting in thighs, bones or feet, but the mechanics of his stride. He swings his legs around instead of raising his knees and stepping forward because of his poor muscle and ligament structure. This is causing problems for his hips, knees and feet. I’m struggling to find mens sports shoes for him, with the right structure and support. Can you please recommend?

I have found Asics shoes to be the most supportive when it comes to arch and ankle support. I have fitted several children who were in men sizes so I have a pretty good idea which shoe styles will work better. In your message you don’t tell me your child’s shoe width, which has the same importance as getting the correct shoe length.

First of all, what type of orthotics have you tried? The ones I fitted at the store where from a manufacturer called Cascade and they made a huge difference. Is he still wearing his orthotics?

I need to know his shoe width and whether you will be fitting an orthotic inside the shoes in order to provide you with the best shoe options.

Thanks for your informative reply Juan.
Sadly the very expensive custom made orthotics were lost when the shoes were left behind somewhere. So no, he’s not still using them because I chose not to reinvest given the lack of improvement.
My son has a “narrow” foot fitting. His last pair were ASICS but he’s grown out of them and I’m struggling to find his large shoe size in Singapore. The ASICS seemed to give him good support, but I noticed the sole was not as wide as some sports shoes. The pediatrist indicated shoes with soles that were wider at the heal would give greater stability.
Grateful for your advice.

I am going to provide you with some of the most supportive Asics shoes but if his walking doesn’t improve you should look into over the counter orthotics (they are cheaper than custom and sometimes even work better) such as Casacade Dafo orthotics. I have use those before and they make a huge difference in terms of the way they walk.

Thank you Juan. I have ordered a pair of the ASICS – the only one on your list with availability in his size!
I appreciate the orthotics recommendation and will look into suppliers here in Singapore.
You’ve been a wonderful help. Many thanks!

Hi, this is a great article! can you please provide me more shoe choices/samples that are best for pigeon-toed toddlers please? And do you have a children’s shoe store here in Australia? Please let me know. Thanks!

Hi,
My son is 2 and has in-toeing and his knees are lightly bent outwards. Sometimes he stands and his feet are straight, and then sometimes it is bent again. When he walks his hips looks slightly turned as well. I took him to a specialist who recommended orthotic shoes which are very expensive. However I have been doing research online and most people are saying that it corrects itself over time. I don’t want to leave it to chance. Can you say what you think and possibly recommend a site to get a good supportive shoe for him. I would like to try this first.

I don’t believe that these type of issues correct themselves. I believe that if the issue is treated at an early age, you will have more chances of avoiding bigger issues in the future such as foot, leg, and back pain. I recommend that you start by trying a pair go goof supportive shoes and see if your child’s posture improves. If it doesn’t, then I can recommend a pair of orthotics. There are definitely certain shoe styles that I can recommend for your child, but I need his exact shoe length and shoe width.

About me

I have been fitting children’s shoes and orthotics for ten years at a premier children’s shoe store specializing in proper fit for over forty years. Every week I help hundreds of children find the best shoes to fit their particular feet. Bones in children are not entirely developed and if a shoe is not properly fitted, then the child’s body’s biomechanics can be altered. It doesn't matter what type of feet your kids have (narrow, medium, wide, or extra wide), there is a style of shoe that will work best for their feet, and you WILL find it here!

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